As global stockmarkets climb and climb, the New Zealand Super Fund has hit an all-time high and this year enjoyed its most profitable month ever. So why was it again that the government cut contributions?
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World News Brief, Tuesday October 27
Officials arrive to inspect Iranian nuclear sites; Bombings in Baghdad kill 132; East Asian nations urged to coordinate currencies; US senate to finalise healthcare bill; and more
Read MoreAre we heading for ACC, RIP?
John Key has finally decided to spend some political capital, by moving towards privatisation for ACC. Sad that he isn't spending it on productivity, wages and the things he claims are his top priorities
Read MoreNot in the loop: a festival of film for a labour-free weekend
I’m trying, not quite successfully, to kick the climate change habit. After 24 hours’ film immersion, political satire In The Loop loses the battle to the message movie Home
Read MoreFrom Power to the people
So far, Simon Power is doing the right thing by the people and their constitution. Rodney Hide? Not so much
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday October 23
Iran agrees to export enriched uranium; Executives at Chrysler, AIG, Citigroup and others get 90% pay cut; China posts nine percent growth; Abdullah Abdullah commits to run-off; Guinea massacre prompt EU arms embargo; and more
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday October 22
US Supreme Court intervenes in Guantanamo closure (+ analysis); Pakistan closes schools and universities fearing further attacks; Tensions in Japan-US military ties; Britain and France charter plane to expel refugees; and more
Read MoreThe king of fraud capitulates
Afghanistan's Hamad Karzai has faced up to the unpalatable reality that he did not win the August election, and must now front up for a run-off in two weeks time. How can Afghan citizens, so widely defrauded the first time, be convinced to go through it all again?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Wednesday October 21
Karzai set to accept election run-off; US considers pushing for a Karzai-Abdullah coalition; Indonesian president sworn in; Iran accues Pakistan of co-operating with terrorists; and more
Read MoreBirthday toast
Another bottle of wine leaves Pundit HQ
Read MoreKicking tyres all the way to the top
Obama photo-ops, David Letterman and 'kicking tyres' have taken John Key and his government to giddy heights in the latest Pundit poll of polls. But will ACC and the foreshore taint his gloss?
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Tuesday October 20
US troop numbers could depend on Afghan election re-run; Dozens die in Iran bombings; Pakistan army try to crush Taliban insurgency; Gordon Brown says 'Copenhagen deal must make history'; and more
Read MoreA sea-ice free Arctic by 2028, and other chilling facts
The latest and best climate science is not recommended for bedtime reading. The globe is already committed to warming in excess of dangerous levels
Read MoreRugby row raises bigger TV issues
Ructions over free-to-air television coverage of the Rugby World Cup raise major questions about the sustainability of
Obama to reveal trade agenda: the untold story
The APEC summit in Singapore next month will host Barack Obama's debut on the Asia-Pacific stage. And it seems we can expect the president to finally draw the curtain on his trade policy
Read MoreThe real estate roller coaster swoops again
Here we go again—property prices are on the rise and all sense and order has flown out the window
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Friday October 16
Suicide bombings rock Pakistan; South Korea and EU agree $28 billion trade deal; Dow Jones rallies to 10,000; British government forces banks to reform bonus system; and more
Read MoreThe martial art of good political interviewing
Are New Zealanders, God forbid, losing their appetite for rigorous political interviewing? Confronting questions should be encouraged, especially by those who have made an art of it themselves
Read MoreOne nation under the influence of one drug
Television has not been kind to the government this week
Read MoreWorld News Brief, Thursday October 15
Pakistan says US aid violates its sovereignty; China grows share of global trade; US sentate passes healthcare bill; Russia won't budge on Iran sanctions; and more
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